Attorney General Lockyer Appoints Paul Seave to Lead Crime and Violence Prevention Center

Veteran US Attorney Brings Crime-Prevention Experience and Commitment to New Job

Friday, January 5, 2001

Contact: (415) 703-5837, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

(SACRAMENTO) – Attorney General Bill Lockyer today announced that he will appoint Paul Seave as Special Assistant Attorney General for Crime and Violence Prevention responsible for managing the Crime and Violence Prevention Center in the California Department of Justice.

Seave will join the California Department of Justice next month after he steps down as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California. Seave, an honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, has served as a federal prosecutor for 16 years.

"Paul Seave has been on the front lines prosecuting crime for nearly two decades and now will bring his extensive experience and knowledge to developing effective crime prevention and education strategies for law enforcement and the public in the state," Lockyer said. "With Paul on our team, we have the opportunity to push California further into the forefront in the crime prevention and education arena."

Over the years, the Attorney General's Crime and Violence Prevention Center has been recognized as a valuable resource for state and local agencies working to prevent violence and protect communities from crime. Recent initiatives include an anti-drug abuse campaign focusing on methamphetamine and "Safe from the Start," a series of 10 regional forums in which law enforcement, child protection and other local agencies have been able to exchange best practices and new ideas for protecting children from violence and preventing crime.

Lockyer said he noticed and appreciated Seave's commitment as US Attorney to crime prevention and community education efforts while working with him on several initiatives aimed at fighting hate crimes and major drug-related crimes. As US Attorney since April 1997, Seave has co-chaired the Greater Sacramento Area Hate Crimes Task Force; chaired the executive committe of the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which has been taking a regional approach to combat the manufacture of methamphetamine; and was co-founder of Project Help: Sacramento Mobilizing Against Substance Abuse.

"Crime prevention is slowly but surely progressing from an art to a science," Seave said. "Having spent more than 16 years as a federal prosecutor, I am convinced that prevention is now an absolutely essential aspect of our state's crime-fighting strategy. The Crime and Violence Prevention Center is dedicated to implementing effective prevention strategies, and I am honored and excited to join Attorney General Lockyer's team."

As head of the Crime and Violence Prevention Center, Seave will oversee a staff of 27 and be responsible for developing effective crime prevention and education strategies for law enforcement and the public.

# # #

State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General